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GBACBFan 
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 Topic: How Agco Thinks
Posted: 11 May 2010 at 5:11pm |
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"The trouble with quotes on the Internet is that you can never know if they
are genuine." - Mark Twain
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redline
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Posted: 11 May 2010 at 6:18pm |
So they can cater to the chinese market, adapt to fit the Indian market but totally ignore an entire established segment here in North America. What an idiot. He has to know he is wrong. Why won't he just admit it and chalk it up as an educational experience? Stubborn.
"It is not just Chinese farmers who are picky about the color of their tractors, as Agco discovered when it phased out the Allis-Chalmers brand, and with it the orange tractors that had been a fixture of the U.S. grain belt since 1914.
"I did get hundreds of emails and needed some bodyguards for a while," joked Richenhagen. Even his son -- who shares his name -- still receives the occasional complaint on his Facebook page from farmers who want to replace their equipment without abandoning the orange look.
These kinds of regional quirks can influence Agco's sales in countless unexpected ways, Richenhagen said. In India, the company recently replaced an aging model of tractor that featured a square hood with a new model with a stylish curved hood. The new model failed to sell.
Why? Most tractors in that country run 24 hours a day, but spend only about a third of the time doing actual farm work. Away from the fields, they are pressed into service as passenger vehicles."
Edited by redline - 11 May 2010 at 6:26pm
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If it weren't for the last minute, I wouldn't get anything done!
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Gary in da UP
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Posted: 11 May 2010 at 6:36pm |
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Well, I hate to rain on the parade, because I like AC stuff as much as anybody here . But we be kickin' a dead horse since '85. Would you feel better if Agco sold every bit of AC , the name , logo, replacement parts biz and everything else to the Chinese? I don't think so and I hope this is not in the future. AC is in good company where it is, along with rumley, monarch, buda and all the brands that AC swallowed to get to where it was once a a great full line company.
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TomYaz
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Posted: 11 May 2010 at 7:42pm |
So the schmuck admits color means something...enlightening..
And I also like this quote:
"A square hood is a very good feature to have on an Indian tractor, because it can sit more people than a round hood," Richenhagen said."
So the next time AGCO boasts about how safety-minded they are..just remember its all BS. (as it is with many companies)
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Russ-neia
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Posted: 11 May 2010 at 7:57pm |
Did you read the article about Marty's wet dreams for mergers and acquisitions? Claas or Kubota??? I think it would be better for the customer and stockholders if THEY acquired AGCO!
Gotta love this quote: "It derives the majority of its sales in Europe and South America and remains a marginal player in North America."
Wheelbarrows only move if you're pushing them!
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Oldoug
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Posted: 11 May 2010 at 10:13pm |
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I wonder if he actually said some of those qoutes? If he did then he's dumber than I thought.
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orangereborn
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Posted: 11 May 2010 at 10:32pm |
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Talked to an acquaintance of mine at AGCO tonight. He has been part of the various AGCO colors close to 30 years. I just basically listened. He predicted what is coming. Seemed that Gleaner may ad a little sunshine. Was an interesting 1/2 hour.
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JohnCO
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Posted: 12 May 2010 at 12:19am |
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Orange, I'd sure like to hear (read) more of those predictions.
Do you suppose if they bought Kubota (not likely IMHO) they would change the color to Red or Yellow?
Nothing like listening to the customer if 'ol Richie did get thousands of angry e mails about dropping the orange line and didn't rethink his strategy.
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"If at first you don't succeed, get a bigger hammer"
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Austin(WI)
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Posted: 12 May 2010 at 8:35am |
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Very interesting to say the least. China is a big ripe piece of fruit ready for the picking...and these companies see that. I guess there strategy is to cater to the more potential and bigger market if that means cutting lines to loyal customers. They knew they would loose people but there putting all there eggs in the basket that is labeled "China".
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"Better By Design"
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woodbutch
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Posted: 12 May 2010 at 9:01am |
The Chinese are intelligent,hard working,and quite capable of stealing any idea that they can't engineer them selves. Why would any western company think can capture a market in China? These people are not fools even though they are holding a lot of worthless paper from our govt . It's a good thing for AGCO that JD is legally required to paint all it"s product green.
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JohnCO
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Posted: 12 May 2010 at 1:54pm |
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Woodbutch, how is it that JD is legally required to paint all it's product green?
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"If at first you don't succeed, get a bigger hammer"
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Byron WC in SW Wi
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Posted: 12 May 2010 at 2:26pm |
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It won't work in China. It won't work in India. It'll work in NA...NOT. What's the definition of a fool?
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Goose
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Posted: 12 May 2010 at 3:15pm |
 woodbutch wrote:
The Chinese are intelligent,hard working,and quite capable of stealing any idea that they can't engineer them selves. Why would any western company think can capture a market in China? These people are not fools even though they are holding a lot of worthless paper from our govt . It's a good thing for AGCO that JD is legally required to paint all it"s product green. |
Exactly. The Chinese will buy as long as they don't produce it themselves. But they will copy it as soon as they can and then sell it back to us cheaper. So much for Richenhagen's marginal intelligence.
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woodbutch
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Posted: 12 May 2010 at 10:35pm |
Yeah, I'm sure it's in the constitution somewhere! They even have paint named after the company! Some people call it adultery green.
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Byron WC in SW Wi
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Posted: 12 May 2010 at 10:44pm |
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You know actually Martin is wrong. You can order a John Deere with Orange paint. On some models it's an option. Maybe John Deere will paint all their Chinese tractors orange and beat out the MF red ones selling there.
Also, don't you think Martin is grasping at this one? Or maybe he's just saying look we'll do better overseas because it's not a level playing field. We have the advantage over there. ?? It's just like his statement that "we'll do better as a company because more people are being born and more food will need to be made" Huh? What's to say that will benefit you?
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Spud
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Posted: 13 May 2010 at 9:38am |
So Agco is stupid to go after large markets? They would be stupid if they didn't.
India is the largest tractor market in the world. It is not Agco's fault that they are a poor country and their tractor is also the family car. Blaming Agco for extra people on the tractor is kind of like blaming McDonalds for making their coffee hot.
I understand people are PO'd with Agco but some of the criticism is starting to sound a little shrill.
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TomYaz
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Posted: 13 May 2010 at 10:23am |
Spud wrote:
So Agco is stupid to go after large markets? They would be stupid if they didn't.
India is the largest tractor market in the world. It is not Agco's fault that they are a poor country and their tractor is also the family car. Blaming Agco for extra people on the tractor is kind of like blaming McDonalds for making their coffee hot.
I understand people are PO'd with Agco but some of the criticism is starting to sound a little shrill. |
I dont think anyone is criticizing AGCO for going after large markets. What we see is a wililngness of AGCO to tailor marketing for those areas -that is, give the market WHAT IT WANTS, and incurring the additional expense in doing so, but no he cant do that in NA; we have to take MF red and like it. As for the tractor hood issue, yes I know I am nit-picking, but it to me it only shows to me that for many companies, profit is more important than people. And heck life is cheap in India right? But on the other hand, it again shows AGCO's willingness to give the market WANT IT WANTS, even if it is unsafe in this instance. IMHO to give the market what it want and to be safe, why not offer with the tractor a little wagon with school bus seats? Haul more people more comfortably and safe. Gotta wonder tho how much dust would kick up from the tires and go downwind...
Edited by TomYaz - 13 May 2010 at 10:24am
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Spud
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Posted: 13 May 2010 at 10:42am |
I hear yah about the dust from riding on a hay rack behind a tractor!
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JohnCO
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Posted: 13 May 2010 at 12:27pm |
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It used to be that most European tractors, even US brands had flat fenders with rails around the outside edge so the whole family could ride it to town. Often the tractor was the only motorized vehicle farmers owned. India and China are just like a lot of places, just 20 years behind but gaining fast. Of course AGCO should be going after those markets, but they should also be listening to the people who buy or want to buy their product and fit those suggestions into the machines the build for them.
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"If at first you don't succeed, get a bigger hammer"
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